


Fade To Black

by jessiharmnoir



Category: Deus Ex (Video Games), Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Genre: Crime Family, Death, Detective Noir, Deus Ex, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Spoilers, F/M, Fade to Black, Fanfiction, Femme Fatale, Gen, Inspired by Deus Ex (Video Games), Multi, Murder, Organize crime, Other, SM07, Side Mission, Spy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25442797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessiharmnoir/pseuds/jessiharmnoir
Summary: Who is Czarnobog, Who is the mystery woman? What happened to Vince Black? This adds further intrigue to the Fade to Black, SM07, side mission given to you by Dr. Delara Auzenne during the main game.This does not change any information or story given in-game. Creative liberties were taken with the parts of the story that were left to the imagination. So this follows canon. Additional notes will be at the end of the work to refresh or clarify things.If requested I am open to writing more to expand on the story.
Relationships: Vince Black/Mystery Women
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Fade To Black

**Author's Note:**

> Music that helped me focus and set the mood:
> 
> Frederic Chopin: Nocturne No. 19 in E Minor, Op. 72 No 1

_It was late at night when the phone rang from the dining room of a small but lavish Dvali crime family sponsored apartment in the upper end of Prague. An elegant, mysterious woman makes her way from the steam of the bathroom to where her phone lay._

_"Dobrý večer, Mr. Brusilov." She answered, "What can I do for you this evening?"_

_"We need you to keep an eye on a newer Dvali asset," The thick Georgian accent came through the phone, "We suspect there is more to Vincent Black than meets the eye. Watch him, earn his trust, make him feel safe, and report back anything suspicious."_

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

_8:45 pm, Evening, Davny Ctvrt,_

The Red Light District and the Red Queen were officially open for evening business. The street announcer and music became more audible as she made her way through Prague. Tourists and locals began crowding the streets as she got closer to the epicenter of Pragues amorous nightlife. She walked the old cobblestones and past the historic buildings; the neon lights and holographic displays illuminated her path. She appreciated the old but new aesthetic. It was a blending of the ancient world and the new generation,

'not dissimilar to the status of the Dvalis,' she mused.

Upon arrival at the abandoned convenience store's filthy basement apartment, she was met by Vince. He, per usual, had his face buried in his pocket secretary with what she assumed was work. However, once she entered, his face perked a bit, and he pulled her in for an affectionate greeting. 

"Easy," she teased, "I'm here all night." 

She pulled away to remove her coat and purse, draping them over one of the dining room chairs. Once she was settled, she pulled Vince back in and took a few extra moments to reflect on the man. For all his strength, confidence, and ability, he was so _damn_ foolish. 

_'Shame,'_ she thought to herself, 's _uch a waste...'_

**10:15pm**

"You barely touched your food?" Vince regarded her barely consumed burger sitting on the table next to his chair.

The evening had been like any other evening, which generally would end with them going out. However, she convinced him to stay in, which required no deviation from the "evenings plan."

"I am sorry, I don't seem to have much of an appetite." she replied

"Is everything okay?" He asked. 

"Of course," she lied. "I had a late lunch."

The truth was she already had dinner with her primary point of contact in the Dvali family, Roman Brusilov, where she informed him of Vince's dual identity. Czarnobog. Vince had revealed this to her in a moment of weakness, not realizing that she was, in fact, a plant by the Dvalis themselves. Over the last several months, she kept an ear to the ground for any rumors, back alley talk, and unusual behavior while pretending to develop a special relationship with Vince. This led to the discovery of a suspicious email on a hidden pocket secretary, mumblings in his sleep, and becoming sloppy with what business he discussed around her as he gradually dropped his guard. 

After a lengthy conversation and sorting through the details, Roman decided how to deal with Vince's betrayal. In summary, she was to keep Vince home, and Roman would send Vlasta, Vince's partner, to handle him personally. Once Vlasta was in place, she would get a message queuing her to leave, and Vlasta and his men would move in. Vlasta anticipated his availability being later in the evening, which was ideal, so any commotion would go unnoticed by alcohol-fueled and lust craved tourists. 

After a while, Vince leaned back into his chair and slowly started to drift to sleep. This seemed for the best. She didn't have the patience to distract or entertain him any further tonight. A small part of her felt guilty as she watched him sleep, knowing what was to come. 

But not guilty enough.

 _It's nothing personal, just business_.

**10:58 pm**

Her pocket secretary lit up, and the message read... _"Time to move, Angel."_

It was past the point of no return now. She looked at the lightly snoring man slumped over in the chair next to her, and for a brief moment, she felt.. pity?

"Vince?" She called softly, 

"Mmmhmmm?" he hummed back. 

"I can't find my I.D.," she says as she pretends to search her pockets and purse, "I had it in my hand when I arrived, but it's gone. I am going to see if I dropped it upstairs or by the door."

"Do you want me to check for you?" he asked as he sat up still hazy. 

"No, No, it's okay, I'll just be a minute." She smiled

"Okay," he said, and he went to lean back into his chair. 

"Hey..." She whispered, her hand reaching out to gently brush the side of his face. She ran her thumb over his cheek as she studied his features. She was memorizing him. They locked eyes, and time seemed to suspend in these last few tender moments. Before he could question what prompted this unusual and sentimental behavior, she moved in for a kiss. It was a passionate but traitorous kiss. A kiss, unbeknownst to him, that spoke of farewells and begged for forgiveness. It was filled with her masked sorrow and twisted affection. Her final message. It was the saddest and cruelest of acts. It was also, perhaps, her most sincere. 

She pulled away and gently smiled at him as he eyed her, confused. Slipping on her shoes and grabbing her things, she headed up the stairs, never looking back; while he watched her ascend, never breaking his stare. In those few moments, she was certain he knew. She was sure she witnessed his moment of realization, discerning her betrayal. He didn't chase her. He didn't ask her why. He never said a word. He just watched as she disappeared.

**11:00 pm**

As she entered the abandoned shop and made her way outside, the clock flipped to 11:01 pm. She saw men under the awnings of buildings down the street perk up and make their way in her direction. One of the men approaching her had a smug smile on his face. Vlasta. He was ending a phone conversation but gave her an acknowledging nod that also served to direct her attention under his arm. There she saw a small metal cage with a rat inside and balanced on top was one of her red stilettoes. 

"Roman sent your package," Vlasta said once he ended the call. 

"It gives a nice touch, don't you think?" she answered with cool wickedness, "What's with the cage?"

"A rat for a rat," Vlasta affirmed. He and a few of his men quickly moved inside while others took points around the building. She eyed the stairs leading down to the apartment for a few moments, considering the finality.

"You shouldn't stick around for this, ma'am," one of the nearby henchmen advised. 

He was right, but she felt compelled to confirm the fruition of her efforts. It was when she finally heard the obscene commotion, the sounds of a struggle, the sounds of flesh and bones fracturing under fists and hammers, the bellows and agitated protests of a man fighting for his life, that she finally turned to leave. 

As she made her way down the street, the red light district and its artificial red glow gradually faded away. The music became a distant, soft, and rhythmic hum. Tourist and their chattering disappear, and the streets became empty until it was only her and the echo of her heels on cobblestone. When she reached the corner, she finally heard what she was certain was the sound of Vlastas 10mm. She paused, only momentarily...

_Goodbye, Vincent Black_

**\------Epilogue-------**

**_To:_ ** _Czarnobog_

 **_From:_ ** _Roman Brusilov_

 _So_ [ _Vince Black_ ](https://deusex.fandom.com/wiki/Vincent_Black) _is Czarnobog. Czarnobog is Vince Black. How long did you expect to live two lives without me finding out? And to think, you might have kept fooling us had you not told her. She's very good, isn't she? Knows how to make a man feel safe. Loved, even?_

_By the time you read this, Vlasta will be holding a gun to your face. I asked him to give you something before pulling the trigger. She said it was your favorite._

_FIN_

**Author's Note:**

> Some additional game and writing notes: 
> 
> It was vital for me not to add or change anything we know according to the game. I replayed the game during my writing and spent lots of time enjoying theories online. Many people have opinions on who the mystery woman is, but I believe she is a new and utterly unknown character specifically for this side mission. I will link a Reddit thread below that talks about all the reasons the mystery women is not known. As such, I never give her any descriptors other than briefly in the beginning.
> 
> In the game, at Vince's apartment, there is a busted TV mounted to the wall, with a chair and end table in front. On the end table, we see a half-eaten burger and a hammer. Vince's body is on the floor in front of the chair, face down, a pocket secretary laying underneath him, and a red stiletto in his inventory. If you roll his body over to reveal his face, it's very bloody, with a rat stuff in his mouth, so I assumed he was beaten with the hammer before he was shot. (Vlasta admits to shooting him in the face if you confront him, and the email from Roman confirms it.)
> 
> The email on the pocket secretary was included in the story but to elaborate further, my understanding was:  
> -Vince revealed his Czarnobog identity to a mysterious woman  
> -Mysterious women sold him out  
> -Mystery women Met with Roman at one point (how else would he get her red shoe?)  
> -Vince trusted, maybe even romantic, with mysterious women ("makes a man feel safe, loved even")  
> -Vlasta kills him with gun
> 
> During the game, we know Vincent Black is an Interpol agent working with Task Force 29 in deep cover with the local Dvali crime family gathering information on their human trafficking operation. However, he has been missing his evals and check-ins. The Psychologist asks us to look into him and is worried "when a person tries to be two people some times they end up being neither." We know through the game that he is devolving (seen in the email to himself from himself on the hidden pocket secretary).   
> We also find out through snooping in the Dvali territory and reading their emails, and through TF29s information that Czarnobog is an unknown entity who is undercutting the Dvalis neon drug operation and has entered in a turf war with Vlasta (who runs the crime families neon operation in Prague). Czarnobog is an unknown player to TF29 and the Dvalis... until Vince reveals his additional (3rd) identity to a mystery woman and was killed for it. ---I never believed that he was revealed as Interpol otherwise I feel his death and the final email from Roman would have been different. It says "Vince is Czarnobog".. and not "Vince is Interpol". 
> 
> Mystery Women Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Deusex/comments/53599h/vince_black_question_red_stiletto/  
> Vince Black Wiki: https://deusex.fandom.com/wiki/Vincent_Black  
> Side Mission Wiki: https://deusex.fandom.com/wiki/Fade_to_Black


End file.
